Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Box Set

by Sherri Bryan

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Because I want to bake a cake to bring along with me. Right, I’ve got an appointment to have my ears syringed so I must fly or I’ll be late. Toodle-pip, my dears, I’ll see you later. Or should I say, I’ll hear you later? Ha! Ta-ta for now.”

  Jess looked on as the elderly woman tip-tapped away on elegant court shoes. “Has there been a hurricane ‘Ava’ yet? Because if there hasn’t, there flippin’ well should be!”

  ººººººº

  “Talk about an eventful start to married life!” Leo Reeves leaned against the bar with his friend, Harry Jenkins. “I thought a honeymoon was about getting away from it all!”

  “Well, I can assure you,” said Charlotte as she put down two bowls of French onion soup with homemade crusty bread in front of two of her favourite customers, “this one wasn’t! We had a fabulous time but that sort of took the edge off it, as you can imagine.”

  “Hmmm, I can imagine.” Leo dunked a large piece of bread into his soup and scooped up a pile of onions and melted cheese.

  “So, you say these people live locally?” said Harry. “The people you met there, I mean. Any of them ever come in here? Anyone Leo and I might have chatted to?”

  Charlotte nodded. “Well, Eddie’s been in once before with his mum but I don’t think you’ll know him. I don’t think you’ll know any of them apart from one, maybe—Adam Pitt. You know who I mean, don’t you? He moved to St. Eves a few years ago. He used to be a co-presenter on some money programme but don’t ask me which one because I can’t remember.”

  “You’re joking? Adam Pitt?” Leo reached for a serviette. “Good God, don’t tell Ava and Harriett, for goodness’ sake. You’ll start a riot.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’re huge Adam Pitt fans.”

  “Really?” Charlotte exchanged a surprised look with Jess. “I’ve never heard them talk about him.”

  “Well, between you and me, I don’t think they’re quite as keen as those women they hang around with sometimes, but you know Ava—the first whiff of a celebrity and she’s bought the t-shirt.

  “You know the women I mean, don’t you? That group who’ve kept track of his every move and spent every waking minute gossiping about him since he moved to St. Eves. What are they called, now? ‘The Pittettes’ or something equally ridiculous”. Leo finished his mouthful before continuing.

  “I happened to be round at Harriett’s one afternoon when a few of them dropped in and they were such a strange bunch of women, I made myself scarce. Like robots, they were, all programmed with encyclopaedic data about Adam Pitt that they could recall at the drop of a hat. They were very creepy, I can tell you—I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

  “I don’t know about creepy—I’d call it weird,” said Jess. “I mean, what good will knowing everything there is to know about Adam Pitt ever do anyone?”

  ººººººº

  The hectic breakfast service was almost at an end when a familiar voice called through to the kitchen.

  “Hi, Charlotte. We’re not staying long, we just dropped by to say hello.”

  She raised her head to see Penny and Amy in the café, Zac slung around Penny’s neck in his sling.

  “Oh, hi! You made it! Um, why don’t you go and grab a table somewhere and I’ll be out to see you in minute? Jess, this is Penny, Amy, and Zac—some of the people we met while we were away.”

  “Oh, hi. Nice to meet you.” Jess fussed over Zac, took the drinks orders, and suggested that Charlotte take the weight off her feet while she had the chance. In the absence of any more food orders, she had some free time.

  “Okay, I will for a while but give me a shout if you need me for anything.”

  She noticed how drawn the sisters looked. Amy, in particular, had dark circles in the deep hollows under her eyes, and her skin was pale and pasty-looking. She looked so lost, Charlotte couldn’t help but lean down and give her a hug.

  “How are you?”

  Amy raised a shoulder. “Not great…and what’s even worse is that I don’t think it will really hit me until the funeral.” Her eyes welled up and she waved her hand in front of her face. “Sorry, I can’t stop bursting into tears. If I could just stop thinking about it…”

  “Good grief, there’s no need to apologise—not to me, anyway.”

  “Can we change the subject, please?” Amy blew her nose. “It’s like it’s all everyone’s talked about since it happened and I’m not in a very good place right now.” She leaned sideways to look inside the bar. “Is that the ladies room, that door on the left? I won’t be long.”

  Penny waited until her sister was out of earshot. “Sorry to turn up when neither of us is at our best. I thought a change of scene would do us both good, but it was such an effort to get Amy here, I almost didn’t think we’d make it. Since it happened, she hasn’t wanted to go anywhere or do anything. She just wants to lie in bed. I had to literally drag her out of it to come down here with me and Zac.

  “I know Frankie’s only been gone for a week, but I know what she’s like—she’ll sit and think about what happened and analyse it for hours—particularly as she thinks it was her fault anyway. She’ll end up making herself ill if she’s not careful, I know she will.” Penny blinked quickly and held onto Zac’s hands as she lifted him up and down on her feet.

  “Well, I can understand why she’s so upset,” said Charlotte, “losing her partner in such terrible circumstances.”

  Penny shook her head. “Oh, no, Frankie wasn’t her partner—not even a casual boyfriend.” She half-smiled and lifted Zac onto her lap. “They were always very touchy-feely with each other—you’re not the only one to think there was something between them—but they were just friends. Very close but just friends. They’ve known each other since they were kids.

  “He was the reason we came here from London, really. He came because he wanted to be somewhere that inspired his creativity and Amy missed him so much that, a year later, we joined him. It was easy for her to get bar work down here, and I’m a freelance writer so I can work wherever I want to. When Amy said she was moving down, I had nothing to lose by packing up and coming with her. And then I met Owen here and the rest, as they say, is history. Anyway, it did us good to get away from London—it’s so much more peaceful. I find that I’m a lot more productive here and since Owen gave up his job to be a house-husband, which he absolutely loves, the lifestyle suits us both down to the ground.”

  Amy re-joined them and Penny stood Zac up on her lap. “Look, it’s Aunty Amy!” The little boy gurgled happily and held out his arms, eliciting a sad smile from the young woman.

  “Come on, let’s go and have a look at the boats, shall we?” Amy lifted Zac into her arms.

  “Just a minute.” Charlotte went inside, reappearing a minute later with a small bag of bread. “Here. You’ll need this to feed the fish. You’ll see them in the water all along the marina-front.”

  “Thank you. That’s sweet of you.” Amy gave the bag of bread to Zac, who promptly put a piece in his mouth. “If there’s any left for the fish, I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.”

  “So, is your house in London all locked up now or do the police still need access to it?” Charlotte asked Penny as they watched Zac empty the whole bag of bread into the water at once.

  “Yes, it’s locked up, but Owen’s cousin, Danny, has a key so we’ve left him in charge. Thank God for him and Susan—there was no way we could stay at the house after what happened, so we all went to stay at their place until it was time to come home.

  “The police were going to arrange for the hot tub to be drained so someone could make it safe, and to find out what the cause of the accident was. It’s only four years old but, between you and me, I’ve got a bad feeling about it.” Penny blinked hard and focused on Zac.

  “Anyway, we’ll just have to wait and see what they find out—what will be will be, I guess.”

  Charlotte noticed Penny’s mood visibly lighten as Zac
toddled towards her.

  “Well, that didn’t last long.” Amy shook a few crumbs from the bread bag, the beginning of a smile curving her lips.

  Penny checked her watch. “Do me a favour, will you? Put Zac in his pushchair while I go to the ladies room. And then we’d better be going. I won’t be a minute.”

  As Charlotte watched Amy quickly secure Zac into the seat with straps and buckles, she wondered how long it would take her to become as adept.

  “You know, it’s so beautiful here, I don’t know why we don’t come more often.” For the first time that afternoon, a warm smile spread across Amy’s face. “I’m sure we’ll be visiting again, though…but we’ll bring our own bread next time, won’t we, Zac?” She leaned forward for a baby wipe from the bag underneath the seat and Zac clutched hold of her t-shirt in a tight little fist. As she curled open his fingers, he pulled the front of the shirt down and Charlotte caught sight of a tattoo on Amy’s chest.

  Still pink around the edges, it looked fairly new. It was a heart enclosing the initials AB & FI.

  Amy Baker and Frankie Ingram. Why would Amy have a tattoo of Frankie’s initials if there’d been nothing between them? Very strange.

  “Right, we must be off.” Penny interrupted her musings. “We’re going to take Zac for a long walk along the beach. Nice to see you again, Charlotte.” The women hugged briefly.

  “Likewise. Look, I’m having a baby shower next Saturday—if you’d like to come, you’re very welcome. It’s at ‘Fisherman’s Cottage’ on the seafront. You know ‘The President’ hotel? Well, it’s just past there. Around one o’clock, if you’re interested—it should be good fun. And bring Zac along if you come—there’ll be plenty of people there who’ll be only too happy to take him off your hands for a couple of hours.” She smiled as she thought of Ava, Harriett, Betty, and Laura cooing over the little boy.

  “Okay, thanks, maybe we will—it’ll be something to look forward to, won’t it, Amy? Right, say bye-bye to Charlotte, Zac.”

  As Charlotte waved the girls off, she couldn’t stop thinking about Amy’s tattoo.

  “They seem like nice people.” Jess passed a cup of tea to Charlotte as she came back into the café. “You can see how upset the younger one is, though. I assume she’s the girl you were talking about earlier? The one who was seeing the tattooist?”

  “Hmmm.” Charlotte nodded. “Yes, she’s the one I was talking about, but turns out she wasn’t seeing him after all. Well, not according to her sister, anyway. Question for you…you’re friends with Nathan, right? You’ve known him for years.”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Would it ever occur to you to get a tattoo with his initials in it? Or of anyone you were just really good friends with? In a big heart? Sort of here?” She touched her fingers to the top of her bra.

  The look on Jess’s face answered the question.

  “A tattoo with Nathan’s initials in it? Erm, funnily enough, no, the thought had never occurred to me. Why on earth would I want to do that?”

  “No, I thought not. It’d be too weird, wouldn’t it?” Charlotte frowned as she chopped salad vegetables.

  I must remember to tell Nathan about it later.

  ººººººº

  “So, how was your first day back at work? I hope you didn’t overdo it?” Nathan kissed Charlotte before making a fuss of Pippin.

  “It was bliss. It was so nice to see everyone. I know we were only away for two weeks but it felt like so much longer after the accident. What about you? Good day?”

  “Yeah, not bad. A lot of catching up on casework, but okay.”

  “And you’ll never guess.”

  Nathan looked up from Pippin, who was lying spread-eagled on the floor, enjoying having his tummy tickled. “Charlotte, I hate it when you say that…no, you’re right, I’ll never guess.”

  She grinned. “Penny and Amy came in today with Zac.”

  “Really? I am surprised. I didn’t think you’d see them again.”

  “Well, they said they’d drop in but I wasn’t entirely convinced they would.”

  “Are they alright?”

  Charlotte made a face. “Well, Penny seems okay but she’s worried about Amy. She’s not doing at all well—very down in the dumps. Understandably, of course. I’ll tell you something strange, though. You know we thought Amy and Frankie were an item? Well, Penny said they weren’t, that they’ve just been really close friends for years.”

  “Oh, that is strange. Considering how tactile they were with each other.”

  “No, that isn’t what was strange. What’s strange is that she’s got Frankie’s initials tattooed on her chest. I saw them when Zac pulled the neck of her t-shirt down. I’m no expert but it looks like she only had it done fairly recently. Anyway, if there was nothing between them, why the tattoo?”

  Nathan shrugged. “No idea. Maybe she had a secret thing for him that she hadn’t told anyone about? Or maybe they were in a relationship but it was a secret from everyone else and that’s why her sister didn’t know about it.”

  He frowned. “Actually, now you come to mention it, apart from all the other tattoos he had, Frankie also had one on his finger that I thought was unusual. This finger.” He waggled his wedding ring at Charlotte. “I noticed it when I was trying to resuscitate him.”

  “Oh? What did it say?”

  “Together...”

  “‘Together…?’ ‘Together...’ what?” What’s that supposed to mean? You sure it didn’t say anything else?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I thought it was strange—like it was unfinished.” He checked the time. “Anyway, I’m going to get changed and get in a quick run before dinner. Won’t be long.”

  Five minutes later he was clamping his headphones over his ears. “I’ll be back in a bit. Oh, and can you call your aunt? She accidentally rang my number instead of yours this afternoon. She wants to talk to you about the baby shower and she was asking about when she could come and stay for a while after the baby’s born.”

  “Oh, that’s great—I’ll call her while you’re out.” Charlotte’s face lit up. Since Nathan had tracked down her long-lost Aunt Lola before their wedding, they’d kept in regular contact and Charlotte was thrilled that her aunt and her two cousins had become permanent fixtures in her life since then.

  As the front door slammed, all thoughts of Penny, Amy, Frankie, and mysterious tattoos disappeared as she dialled her aunt’s number.

  Chapter 5

  Ever since amassing his considerable fortune, Adam Pitt had been paranoid that someone would try to take it away from him, break into his home, or try to kidnap him.

  His state-of-the-art security systems were the best money could buy and, over the years, he had taken every precaution to keep himself, his antiques, his priceless art collection, and his money well protected.

  Since moving to St. Eves, he had felt safe—much safer than when he’d lived in big cities. All his adult life, he’d been careful to surround himself with staff he could trust implicitly but, in Eddie, he was sure he’d found the ultimate employee—loyal, trustworthy, and discreet but intimidating enough to deter anyone who might be thinking of getting a little too up close and personal with him.

  He knew he could trust Eddie with his life, and with any confidence, but the secret around which his current dilemma revolved was too secret to divulge to even Eddie.

  He had to find out who knew what had happened all those years ago, and deal with it on his own.

  As he thought about it, the veins on his forehead bulged. That someone thought they could get one over on him made him furious.

  And vulnerable.

  He logged into his email account to read the message again.

  I know what you did.

  I know what you did all those years ago.

  You have until the end of June to make amends with those you hurt so deeply.

  If you fail to do so, I will go to the press with my story and you can kiss your reputation goodbye.

/>   Remember—the end of June. Not a day later.

  He closed the lid on his laptop and rested his chin on clasped fingers. He didn’t want to involve the police, but he wanted their protection. Only on his terms, though.

  He picked up his phone and dialled the number Nathan had given him when they’d spoken in London.

  “DCI Costello, please. It’s Adam Pitt. What? Yes, I’ll hold. Good morning, Detective Chief Inspector. Very well, thank you. You recall I mentioned that I wanted to see you? Well I’d like to arrange a meeting as soon as possible—at the station, preferably. I’d rather Ruby didn’t know I was meeting with you. Right, half-past three this afternoon. Okay, I’ll see you then.”

  ººººººº

  “What is it I can do for you?” Nathan sat across the desk from Adam Pitt.

  “I’ll get straight to the point. You must know that I’m a very wealthy, very successful man. And you must know that one doesn’t make the sort of money I have without making a few enemies along the way. It’s inevitable that many people who have not been as fortunate as me will envy what I have. Some will wish me bad fortune. And some will try to take what I have and tarnish my reputation.”

  He paused to gauge Nathan’s reaction but his expression was impassive.

  “The thing is… I believe that someone is out to do just that—which is the reason for my visit. I believe that someone wishes me harm and I want you to guarantee my safety.”

  Nathan frowned. “So, you’ve had threats made against you? Verbal or physical?”

  Adam shook his head. “No. No threats, it’s just a feeling I have—my intuition tells me that all is not well.”

  He had no intention of telling Nathan about the email threatening to expose his secret. He just wanted the police to maintain a presence and for the blackmailer to be aware of it. He had no idea of their location, of course, but he hoped that, if they were keeping as close tabs on him as he imagined they were, the involvement of the police would scare them off. After all, the penalty for blackmail was harsh.